I HITCH a ride from Shiel Bridge along Glen Shiel. I used to do a lot of hitching but times and attitudes change. People are more wary of strangers these days. Everyone is less communicative. But what the heck. The sky is flawless blue and the sun burning savagely. My driver is a friendly chap from Fort William who is happy to drop me off in a lay-by beneath Bealach an Lapain. From here the only way is up . . .

This is a retro post for Because They’re There. It’s a letter from the past featuring a memorable walk and the contemporary events surrounding it . . .

Anyone who has climbed to the crest of Bealach an Lapain from the A87 will know what a torturous slog it is. But I pick my way up its steep slope with the sun on my neck, sweating like a navigator, and eventually arrive at a dip in the middle of one of Scotland’s most splendid ridges. This is Bealach an Lapain.

The Five Sisters roll off to the north-west like a row of grumbly aunts at the seaside. From some directions and in certain atmospheric conditions they can resemble Gaelic maidens in sombre shawls, dancing nimbly through the dawn or dusk. But up here on a hot day they are formidable matriarchs waiting impatiently for milky tea and a fish supper. Mess with them and they’ll give you a belt around the ear. Nae bother.

If you are unfamiliar with Britain and the customs of its inhabitants, it might surprise you to learn that the first thing we do when the sun comes out for more than two hours is take our shirts off, get sunburnt, drink beer, then squeal like babies in the shower before we go to bed. It’s a tradition in the same vein as the state opening of parliament, only instead of wearing stupid and outdated national dress, people who climb mountains cast it off and later regret their actions. Really, no matter what we do, we can’t win

Anyone who knows anything about mountains will tell you that although they are called the Five Sisters of Kintail there are actually six of them, but only three are Munros (peaks above an elevation of 3,000ft). Quite where the “Five” comes from I’ve no idea. Perhaps Enid Blyton had a hand in it.

The Munros are, from south to north-west, Sgùrrna Ciste Duibh (1,027m or 3,369ft), Sgùrrna Carnach (1,002m or 3,287ft), and Sgùrr Fhuaran (1,067m or 3,500ft). The high ground doesn’t end there. It continues over Sgùrrn a Saighead and Ben Bhuidhe. There’s an extra option of Sgùrrna Moraich, but I intend to bail out on Ben Bhuidhe.

And off I go, along rocky ridges in furious sunshine, over stony peaks in a landscape that fills the walker with awe. But halfway through this marathon walk I run out of water and soon begin to suffer the effects of dehydration.

By the time I reach Ben Bhuidhe I’m suffering from a blinding headache, dizziness, bone-dry mouth and lack of will to continue. Those Sisters really have given me a belt around the ear. But I find a sunken stream low on Ben Bhuidhe’s western ridge, a mere runnel of water in a shallow cut in the ground, which is almost covered with vegetation. In fact, I hear it before I see it. Water has never tasted sweeter.

Learnt a lesson there. When walking in the hills, always take more water than you need. Even in Scotland. And if you’re in Kintail, take a flask of tea for the Five Sisters. They can buy their own fish suppers.

Like this:

LikeLoading...

Related

About McFadzean

Alen McFadzean, journalist, formerly of the Northern Echo, in Darlington, and the North-West Evening Mail, Barrow. Former shipyard electrician. Former quarryman and tunneller. Climbs mountains and runs long distances to make life harder. Gravitates to the left in politics just to make life harder still. Now lives in Orgiva, Spain.

25 Responses to Days Like This, No 8: The Five Sisters of Kintail

Breathtakingly beautiful photographs, all the more impressive for being done the old-fashioned way with film. An entertaining narrative, too as per usual…I’ve done the nominally five sisters myself in dreich weather, but got dehydration on the ridge along the much tamer Carlin’s cairn and Bow in Southern Scotland. Not a lot of fun…thank goodness for mountain streams.
cheers,
Iain

Hi Iain. Yes, dehydration is a nasty business and if it creeps up on you and there’s no water supply in the area it can really cause problems. Interestting that you suffered from it in Scotland as well – that should undermine one or two myths about the weather.
Cheers, Alen

Hi Andy. I used to know a chap who carried an umbrella in his rucksack to keep the sun off his bald head. I could have done with one myself that day. Bealach an Lapain is a killer in both directions. I’ve been up it once and down it once and that’s enough.
Cheers, Alen

Fantastic – I did a couple of them many, many years ago, with a very fit nurse (fit as in good at walking, but ‘fit’ in other ways as well…). It rained very heavy when we got to the summit and we bailed out, next day we did the other one (can’t remember which they were though)…Your photos are a joy to view…brilliant

Great enthusiastic tale, Alen. It’s beautiful mountains and an amazing view.
I have just retweeted Calling Mountain Rescue. Here is an excerpt: “For instance, make sure you have more than enough food and water to last for the walk and do not attempt walks which are way too challenging for your level of experience.”
When I ran out of water in Corsica is was very uncomfortable. And I have also violated most of the rules in full text in Calling Mountain Rescue.
You have fortunately managed ‘your paragraphs’ without having retrieved by helicopter 🙂
All the best,
Hanna

Hej Hanna. It’s easy to underestimate liquids when walking in Scotland because the entire country is usually so wet and there are streams everywhere. I leanrt to my cost that the streams on the Five Sisters are non-existent in hot weather. I shall know better in future.
I have seen pictures and read articles about the mountains of Corsica and it looks like a dry sort of place. I fancy going there sometime and seeing it for myself.
All the best, Alen

I hated that ridge – and now I’ve got to do it again as we missed the top of Saighead by about 30 feet or so – not mist – fear on my part – I said it was a top so we didn’t need to do it and could we please get off the ridge as soon as possible – my nerves were shredded by then! Now, of course, I’m doing tops so I intend to visit it soon. I’ll probably get Moraich on the way up via the waterfall at the western end of the ridge, go over Beinn Buidhe to Saighead and then descend your way via Serraich. I won’t be going onto Fhuarain, Carnach and co again though.

I’ve only ever descended that side of the Bealach an Lapain (from The Brothers) – we went up the back of the bealach from Glen Lichd the day we did the Sisters. Still a slog but not scarily steep…

Love your photo of Saighead – makes it look as spiky as I remember it…
Carol.

You’re up late again Carol. I was very impressed by Saighead because it had the most fascinating sloping crags that shot down into Glen Lichd at a crazy angle. They don’t come out very well in the picture, which is a shame.
I read your description of the descent from Bealach an Lapain and it made me laugh. The cars and vans beneath your boots that never get closer. Why the hell do we do these strange things?
Cheers, Alen

I was dreading the Forcan Ridge but in the event I found it enjoyable and exhillerating. I latched onto a group of four people – three women and a bloke – and they had never done it either. Safety in numbers. There’s only one bad bit – the Bad Step – and that can be avoided if you cut down to the left about 50ft and come up under it. You’ll have a great day.

Extremely stunning views!
Yeah, when dehydration strikes we surely get ourselves in big trouble. Situations like this usually happens on mountains that we’re not familiar with yet, that’s why we do a background research first before the go and yet we can’t escape from situations like this.This could also happen even to our most visited places. Man has no power over nature. All we can do do is to take precautions and extra careful. In times like this, I do prayer,focus, and “mind over matter” way of thinking. 🙂
In the end, no matter how hard it was… the journey of experiencing the beauty of God’s creation still continues… Well, maybe until the day my bones will say ” It’s enough”. 🙂

Thanks Loty. Yes, I am usually very careful. When I climb mountains in Spain I usually take two or 2.5 litres of water with me and that gets me through. You just don’t expect to get caught out in somewhere as wet as Scotland. I shall try the mind over matter thing next time I’m in a tight place.
Cheers, Alen

Wow, Alen, that could have gone very badly wrong! Great retro photos – they really show how scorching hot it was – and I’m glad you lived to tell the tale! If that was a strenuous walk by your standards I reckon I would have flaked out half way up! I’ve been caught out before by not taking enough water (it weighs so much!) but it wasn’t nearly the same scale of risk. I think it was probably somewhere in North Wales and there are always plenty of streams, albeit some of them rather sheepy.

Hiya Jo. It was a strenuous walk, but it does us good to stretch ourselves at times. Wouldn’t like to try it in my present state of fitness, mind, but there you go.
Sheepy streams present other problems apparently, but I can’t say I’ve ever experienced any side effects from drinking out of them. Mind you, I do suffer from panic attacks when I see mint sauce and wellington boots so perhaps that has something to do with it.
All the best, Alen

Long gone are the days when I used to hitch everywhere. Every weekend from Suffolk to Nottingham to meet up with my now wife. I would stop and pick folks up now but it is rare to see anyone with their thumbs out at the side of the road.

BECAUSE THEY'RE THERE is about climbing mountains – nothing else. Well, actually, there are one or two other things. But it's mostly about climbing mountains. And fish and chips. And politics. And doing a bit of fell running. And wondering where the hell your life's gone – and where it might be going next. And cooking kippers in a wet tent. And people you bump into who do similar things. Actually, that last one doesn't happen very often . . .

Follow Blog via Email

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.